


Prove Me Wrong

by HalfBloodQueens



Category: Hook - Fandom, Killian Jones - Fandom, Once Upon A Time - Fandom, Rumplestiltskin - Fandom, ouat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 08:12:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11665143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalfBloodQueens/pseuds/HalfBloodQueens
Summary: When Eleanor and Katherine Rhodes are employed as maids by the Dark One himself, their life takes an interesting turn. As Eleanor finds herself growing closer to Rumplestiltskin; Katherine finds herself getting increasingly lonely - so they take to finding her a companion.





	1. Chapter 1

Eleanor and Katherine Rhodes were the epitome of sisterly love, their love for each other made them not only sisters but best friends; inseparable. They were witty and fun and could be reasoned with only by their father - the only man known to succeed in taming their mothers fiery temper and quick tongue, a trait they both inherited but their mother lost over time. They feared nothing and no-one; "fear is a choice, one which can be diminished with reason and logic" they would tell people after they were praised for their bravery within their village whenever they would fight off a wolf or save a family from a burning hut. They were known by all in their small village and many questioned how two beautiful intelligent noble girls could be the result of a market stall owner and a babbling, insane house bound woman. Their father, Jonathan Rhodes, ran the bread stall at the town market, struggling to make ends meet but still each day he'd return to town, confident today will be better than the previous. His determination was pitied by all, though not enough for anybody to buy his bread. Their mother, Elizabeth Rhodes, was seen by no one but her family. There were whispers; rumours of her. That she was abducted by a witch shortly after the birth of their youngest daughter, the experience leaving her so traumatised that she'd babble on for days with tales of such nonsense that even the most imaginative of children would disregard her as insane but, still, she was adored by her family. Her uniqueness was what made her special to them; they wouldn't change her for the world.  
Despite Katherine and Eleanor's admirers, they were still thought of as peasants, due to their embarrassing family and lack of anything with monetary value - though they were much more tolerable than their parents - but they weren't deterred by people's narrow minded opinions. 

Each day, they would rise at dawn, fetch some firewood from the forest, help their mother with a few chores and accompany their father to the bread stall - "for support" they'd tell their father, though he knew that they went with him only to scold anybody who dared to make a snide comment toward him. Eleanor stood sweeping the floor surrounding their stall whilst Katherine was setting the display for the morning when a high-pitched, bubbly voice reached her ears  
"I had reason to believe you wanted to make a deal with me, dearie" Eleanor looked up to see her father conversing with a ... man? Could she call him a man? He had greenish scaly skin - similar to that of a reptile, bright yellow, glazed eyes that seemed to stare straight into your mind and an outfit and aura that screamed dominance. The Dark One. Eleanor gasped in surprise, there were rumours of a Dark One, a reptilian looking being with magic to rival Merlin himself, a man who would strike a deal with anyone, for a price, a man no one would dare cross - and he was stood talking to their father  
"No, I've changed my mind, you ask too much" their father told him  
"Oh but you see, once a deal has been negotiated, I am afraid it cannot be undone" he giggled  
"There has to be something else, anything else" their father begged, desperate  
"What's going on?" Eleanor set aside the broom, stepping to her fathers side and looking up at the Dark One  
"Ohhh, and who do we have here" the Dark One asked, circling Eleanor, observing her: Slim build, long Auburn Hair that rocked slightly in the breeze, framing her face as though she were a portrait, and striking Emerald eyes that watched you with an intensity the Dark One had never before encountered  
"Eleanor Rhodes, sir" she bowed her head toward him, respectfully and he watched her, curiously, he was obviously used to people being more nervous in his presence  
"Eleanor Rhodes... yes, it fits quite nicely. Jonathan, I am willing to renegotiate our deal. I shall ensure that your stall thrives, you will make more money than you know what to do with and will sell bread to every person in this village"  
"And the price?" Jonathan asked  
"A maid, or housekeeper - if you will - specifically your daughter" to his surprise Eleanor's eyes lit up in excitement  
"No!" Their father yelled "you can't have my daughter"  
"Oh dear me, then I am afraid we have reached an impasse" the Dark One sighed theatrically  
"No, wait" Eleanor interjected, looking at her father "please, father? To live with the Dark One, how exciting. I'll be safe, I promise"  
"Eleanor, no, he's dangerous"  
"So is the plague, but half the village carries it. Surely you'd want a better life for me? One where I would be safe from the ailments that curse this village" The Dark One grinned, obviously delighted by how the conversation was going, Jonathan sighed, defeated  
"Then we have a deal?" He asked, conjuring a contract from mid air and, reluctantly Jonathan signed it  
"Oh, wait!" Eleanor said and The Dark One looked at her, perplexed "I don't go anywhere without my sister Katherine, she has to come too"  
"Well, I suppose two maids would be better than one" he said, rubbing his chin as though he were thinking "and where is this sister?" Eleanor called her sister over and Katherine walked to them, bowing out of respect to this strange man in the same way her sister did. The Dark One examined her in the same way he did Eleanor: she was slim built, like her sister, though slightly taller in height, she had brilliant blue eyes that made the morning sky look dull in comparison and dark brown hair that fell in waves down to the small of her back. The two sisters were different in looks but the way they both held themselves proudly and respectfully showed their relation, they shared the same piercing gaze and stern yet kind complexion  
"Yes, you two will do nicely. Well, I bid you good day sir" he bowed to Jonathan and, in a puff of purple smoke, the two sisters vanished, without the chance to say goodbye to their parents.


	2. Chapter 2

They arrived in the hallway of a large stone castle. The first thing Eleanor noticed was the lack of candles or lanterns, they were stood in almost complete darkness. Katherine was admiring the large oil paintings hung from the wall. There was a light yet distinct smell to the air. They recognised it as dust, as though the place had been long abandoned  
"Here we are, dearies. This is your home now, might as well make yourselves comfortable" he motioned for them to follow. They traipsed through the long narrow hallway, up a winding flight of stairs and down at least three corridors before they stood outside a large oak door  
"This will be your chambers" he told them, unlocking the door and swinging it open. It was beautiful, the two sisters gasped in unison. They had never before seen a bedroom of such luxury. It was so different to the small hut in which they'd grown up. There were two large four poster beds, with curtains hanging around them, two large dressers, a bookshelf and a beautiful scarlet rug in the centre of the room  
"It's lovely" Katherine breathed  
"Thank you, erm.." Eleanor started, realising for the first time she didn't know her new masters name  
"Rumplestiltskin" the man giggled, rolling his 'R' and dramatically bowing as he extended his arm before them.  
"Thank you, Rumplestiltskin" she smiled at him and he looked back at her, his eyes almost searching hers  
"Yes, well. I'll give you two an hour to settle in and familiarise yourselves with your new quarters. I expect you both downstairs in one hour to begin your work" and with that he turned and walked away from them. Once they were inside their room the two sisters turned to each other and let out a huff of breath, laughing. Not quite believing what had happened that day.  
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Katherine spoke, running her finger along the top of the bookcase  
"It's beautiful" Eleanor answered sitting down on one of the two beds and lying back, welcoming the comfort of a large mattress and thick blanket  
"I wonder how mother is" Katherine thought out loud  
"Probably muttering on about how the witch has come back to take us" the two sisters shared a hearty laugh, meaning no harm toward their mother; they adored her, but teased her occasionally - though never in her presence.  
"What do you think of him? Rumplestiltskin I mean" Katherine asked, tilting her head ever so slightly, the tone of their conversation becoming more serious.  
"I think people judge him far too hastily. He deserves a fair chance as much as anybody else; perhaps more even. We've known him less than an hour and already he treats us far better than anyone in the village" Eleanor responded, growing increasingly frustrated as she remembered her life leading up to that moment.  
"I couldn't agree more. We do everything within our power to aid them and yet they continue to look down on us purely because of our upbringing, it hardly seems fair"  
"Luckily for us, we no longer have to suffer the stares they think we don't notice and the sniggers they think we don't hear" Eleanor sighed as Katherine delicately perched herself on the edge of her silk woven sheets; afraid that they'd suddenly slip from beneath her.  
"I suppose you have a point. This arrangement will benefit us both immensely, I mean, just look at all these books! There's nowhere either of us would rather be than in a room full of books" Katherine glanced over at her sister, raising her eyebrow, knowing she was right. Eleanor simply chuckled and arose from her position on the bed, heading towards the door.  
"We should get to work. An early start will make an excellent impression on our gracious host" Eleanor emphasised the word 'host', knowing he was more of a captor than anything else. Although she begged her father to let her go, both sisters had heard the tales of the oh so powerful Dark One. They heard how he stole children from their parents in the night and often returned them as a shell of their former self; how he'd snap the neck of someone who attempted to cross him without a moment of hesitation; how he ruthlessly slaughtered anyone who stood in his path. He had a bad reputation, but that didn't stop the Rhodes sisters from wanting to know more; their curiosity always overpowered their reason. Katherine nodded and stood up straight, dusting off her skirts as she did so. 

Eleanor and Katherine mustered all of their strength and forced open the considerably large doors and walked into the main dining room; a skip in their step and awe visible on their faces at the magnificence of the castle they were to live in. Rumplestiltskin noticed this immediately and was not at all pleased by the joy he could feel radiating from his maids.  
"Stop that incessant smiling, it's incredibly distracting" he frowned at them as he spoke. Eleanor was the first to respond.  
"Our apologies, sir. We only thought the place could do with some...cheer" she said hesitantly, not knowing what reaction the provoking would result in. She immediately regretted her choice of words as his face scrunched up in horror at the word 'cheer'.  
"We only mean that there's a layer of dust covering much of the castle, it's a shame to see such a beautiful place in such a dismal state" Katherine quickly interrupted his ever growing outrage. Rumplestiltskin sank back into his chair at the head of his dining table that took up a significant amount of space. Eleanor and Katherine released a sigh of relief and their previously tensed muscles soon returned to their relaxed state.  
"Well get to it then, my dismal castle isn't going to clean itself" The Dark One simply waved them away after pointing to the sweeping brush and rag he conjured for them, seemingly out of thin air. Katherine quickly rushed forward, eager to get to the rag first, she never did enjoy sweeping. Eleanor simply waited patiently, having known that Katherine would immediately dart for the rag; she much preferred sweeping anyway, though she wouldn't admit it. She thought it a lot easier to let her sister think she had won yet again. She smiled as Katherine waved the rag above her head, proud of her victory, and made her way towards the broom that was propped up against the wall.  
"I suppose I'm on sweeping duty then?" Eleanor let out a small laugh, and immediately the two realised they were still in the presence of Rumplestiltskin. They bowed their heads apologetically and began cleaning the dining room.  
Katherine made her way towards a glass cabinet full of fascinating objects that grabbed her interest the moment she laid eyes on them.  
"Don't touch that. Clean everywhere but there" she heard the now familiar voice from beside her, making her jump backwards.  
She was so easily distracted and therefore hadn't notice Rumplestiltskin appear next to her. Eleanor laughed again, this time The Dark One giggled as she did, clearly finding Katherine's lack of attention to be worthy of laughter. He looked over at Eleanor, knowing the rumours that surrounded her family and what people say about them. He could hardly believe that such an independent and, dare he say, beautiful woman could be born to a unsuccessful bread-selling father and a house-ridden mother. He soon dismissed these thoughts; she was a maid, nothing more. Eleanor, though at first oblivious, soon caught him staring at her and assumed he was merely lost in his thoughts. She continued her sweeping, determined to finish at least that floor of the castle before nightfall.


	3. Chapter 3

"You'd think this place had been empty for years, look at the state of these curtains!" Katherine whined in disgust at the clouds of dust that appeared in the air as she shook the dark curtains  
"I know, you'd think, being the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin would be able to clean up a little. I mean, all that magic, surely it would take him seconds. Why does he even need maids?" Eleanor wondered aloud, thinking she knew the answer  
"He's probably lonely" Katherine confirmed the same thought her sister had had "everybody seems so afraid of him. Don't get me wrong, he looks like he could be terrifying if he so wanted but, given how we were treated by strangers growing up, I much prefer his presence"  
"You can say that again" Eleanor laughed wondering when she'd gotten to a point in her life where she'd rather live in an isolated castle with an evil sorcerer than in the village in which she were raised  
"You know, dearies" a voice came from the doorway and they both turned, startled "if your hands could move as quick as your mouths do, this place would be spotless by now" he giggled as they looked at the floor, slightly ashamed  
"Sorry, sir" they both spoke together. Their new master came walking into the room, slowly. Eleanor wondered how he could make something as simple as walking look so menacing and calculated. They braced themselves slightly, expecting him to explode with rage but, as he stood in front of them, he conjured a pot of tea onto the table adjacent to them, motioning for them to have a drink  
"Really?" Katherine asked  
"I may be a monster, dearie, but I do have manners"  
"I don't think you're a monster" Eleanor told him as she poured her tea into a beautiful tea cup  
"Then you are naive" he told her, coming to stand next to her   
"No, sir, my sister and I just have the underrated ability to see the good in people, even when the world believes it to be nonexistent" The Dark One watched her with a curious expression, to anybody else, the intense eye contact may have been awkward and uncomfortable but with Eleanor's strong will and Rumplestiltskins lack of regular human behaviour, the gaze was... interesting. Eleanor finally took the chance to properly study his eyes. They were bright yellow and piercing, as though they belonged to a snake. They were terrifying, in a sense, but also incredibly mesmerising and almost beautiful. Rumplestiltskin, in turn, studied her. Her electric green eyes showed no sign of fear, as they should - as he'd come to expect - on the contrary, they almost held a certain level of respect and admiration for the man that stood before her. They were wary, naturally, even he couldn't deny he was quick to temper more often than not, but she wasn't afraid of him, which he found incredibly odd. He'd never seen anyone act this way toward him since before he became the Dark One, when he was a coward. No. He'd never go back to being a coward!  
"Enough!" He spoke into the silence surrounding them and watched as the moment slipped from her eyes and confusion took its place "this place is still a mess, I thought you were supposed to be maids! Get back to work!" He ordered and, now starting to feel slightly afraid, Eleanor stumbled backwards into the table, knocking her cup of tea onto the floor  
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" She panicked, not wanting to rile his temper further. She picked up the cup from the floor, dreading what she saw "I'm so sorry sir, it's chipped slightly, b-but it's only chipped, you can hardly notice it" she was examining the small chip on the rim of the cup, too afraid to look at him  
"It's only a cup" he dismissed, seemingly uninterested "clean it up" he told them and strode out of the room. Eleanor let out a shaky breath  
"What the hell was that?" Katherine asked  
"I don't know what happened I just knocked it off, why didn't he kill me?"  
"Not that! The eye thing"  
"What eye thing?"  
"Oh, I don't know, the way you were staring longingly into each other's eyes"  
"Shut up Katherine"  
"I'm serious, El. You should have seen the way he looked at you, it was intense"  
"That's an understatement" Eleanor sighed and picked up a rag to pick up the tea that had spilled onto the floor when the cup fell.


End file.
